KATHMANDU, Nepal–Many children have become orphans and Sindoor (red pigment which symbolizes married women ) of dozen more Nepali women was wiped out from their foreheads following the April 18 Everest avalanche, the deadliest climbing tragedy on the mountain, that killed 13 Sherpa guides along with support staffs, leaving three still missing.
Dozens of mountain children are stranded following the deadliest ever accident in the history of Mt. Everest. Likewise, many children who lost their father, the sole bread winner of the family are worried over the future of their study and are expecting for a good time to forget the trauma left by the incident. However, a charitable organization did not let their desire die.
Benoit Chamoux Foundation, set up to help raise fund for the children of fallen Sherpa mountaineer during their attempts in Himalayan Peak in memory of veteran French mountaineer Benoit Chamoux adopted the two sons–Ang Sumba Sherpa, 9, and Angngima Sherpa, 11, of the deceased mountaineer Ankaji Sherpa who breathed his last during the course of his 8th attempts in Mount Everest. Both the Sherpa brothers have been enrolled at Himalayan International Model Higher Secondary (HIMS), Kathmandu at the initiation of the foundation which will afford all the fees including other costs for the Sherpa guys from this academic session.
In fact, the foundation had been seeking to adopt for at least two orphans of fallen mountaineers since a couple of month. “Fabienne Clauss had requested us to look for two mountain children to be adopted within 2014 and, coincidentally, Everest Avalanche led us prompt to continue the noble initiations “, Pasang Sherpa of Himalayan Sherpa revealed.
Among the 31 children who became victims of the avalanche, 28 have nodded to continue for the study after the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) worked out the process of distributing the forms to fill the profile of those orphans after inquiring them whether or not they want to continue their study further.
Cheechi Sherpa, 18, an elder sister of recently adopted Sherpa Kids, who lost their father Ang Kaji Sherpa, 37, in the avalanche, is still worried that her six siblings may suffer though the foundation helped two of her younger brothers. “Really I am very grateful to the president and the founder of this foundation and its members for supporting my brother at this tragic moment, but I am still uncertain about my and other sibling’s future”, Cheechi who is playing the role of guardian for her five siblings after the death of her father told to Nepal Mountain Focus over a phone.
She also thinks that demise of her father also adds a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders. She is worried over her study at every bit.”I am rather worried of my study and doubt whether I can’t complete it,” Cheechi who is studying at 12 grade taking hotel management as major subjects further told.
Cheechi could not forget the moment that she talked with father over a phone before the avalanche took place when his father said he would come back home within a couple of weeks. “On Thursday morning, dad had asked us to pray for him as he was leaving from the base camp the next day,” she shared a segment of her last conservations with her father to this portal. Alas! On Friday morning she had to hear shocking news which she still does not believe her ears.”I could not believe my ears when I heard that my father was swept away by avalanche”, her tone goes a bit softer.
Though it has been still difficult for her to believe about his demise, the body of Ang Kaji was recovered from the avalanche on Saturday afternoon and the emotional Cheechi could not stop herself collapses during the cremation ceremony of her father at Syambhu in Kathmandu, two month ago.
She said that she frequently sees her father in dream. “How I could believe he was killed in avalanche as I often dream that he returns to home?” she told with breaking heart.
Ang Kaji, who started going to the mountains for work for the past one decade and would share his mountaineering experiences with his daughters will no more narrates his decade long struggle with the world’s highest peak to his lovely daughters hence onwards.
This time also he had vowed to return back soon to share his experiences. “Before leaving for the peak he had promised to return soon…but he did not come “, her voice stopped with despair. Sometime in his earlier expedition her father would also give a tone of warning that it is uncertain whether a mountaineer would return alive or not. His statement proved true though it may be a bitter lesson for others.
After the deadliest accident, the government announced a compensation and insurance package worth about $15,000 to the victims of the Sherpa climbers, but Cheechi is not satisfied with the amounts. “We have not acquired compensation as promised by the government except for meager 1 million rupees in insurance amount. Government must support us accomplish our study”, Cheechi who live in a rented flat paying 9 thousand rupees per months further told.
Cheechi who is doing her 12 grade is sometimes accompanied by her octogenarian grandpa and 77-year-old grandma Nima Sherpa. “They couldn’t stop breaking the tears seeing our measurable condition but try to soothe us”, she told. Both the octogenarian couple who live with their elder son in neighboring India had returned to Nepal after the demise of their youngest son, Ang Kaji.
Her one of the brother lives at a Monastery to become Lama while two sisters are along with her. Cheechi who wants to run a hotel at her native village after accomplishing the study finally told, “I am grateful to the foundation who adopted my two brothers.”